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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. charge — a price
  4. band — a ring
  5. drill — the tool
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. object — a thing
  8. charge — in control
  9. object — to protest
  10. charge — electricity
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. ground — the earth
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. pound — a weight
  15. drill — a practice
  16. branch — a division
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. wax — to grow
  19. drill — army training
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. ground — crushed
  22. ground — a position
  23. object — an aim
  24. band — a rubber band

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com